If you did not know that Eric LaRocca was the author of the now viral "Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke," their new story collection would make you pick up that previous work right away.

"The Trees Grew Because I Bled There" is a collection of short horror stories that focus on relationships between the stories main characters and those around them. It's a perfect blend of unsettling and tenderness, balancing these emotions with more precision than many seasoned authors are able to convey. Each story toes the line of going too far, but once you think it'll go off the deep end, LaRocca reins their characters back in, beckoning them like a mother calling her child back home.

If their previous endeavor didn't solidify them as a force to be reckoned with, "The Trees Grew Because I Bled There" is a surefire hit, one that will propel LaRocca into even more fame. Visceral as much as they are intimate, this collection of stories is best consumed in one sitting. You don’t know if you should look away from the pages or sink your teeth right into them.

I’m a big fan of Eric’s work! I find their short stories so creative and engaging. This is a reprint of a collection that he published and then went out of print. I’m excited to pick up the new print of the stories and add it to my collection!

I always find Short Stories hard to review because there are always going to be some you love and some you are not so keen on. Overall I am going to give this 4 stars!

These stories are Dark and fall under the Horror genre so please go in to that with this in mind, some you need a strong stomach for! I love the speculative stories where the ending is left to the interpretation of the reader, and would make for a great discussion!

You’re Not Supposed To Be Here was definitely my favourite of the bunch

Few stars have shone as brightly in the horror world lately than Eric LaRocca's. His writing skills plus his penchant for truly suspenseful horror fiction have seen him ascend as fast as anyone on the literary scene and I can imagine him as a horror household name in the years to come. This collection is a fine display of what he has to offer.

In Bodies Are For Burning and You're Not Supposed to Be Here, LaRocca produces two of the most tension filled stories I've read and proves himself a true horror master by being one of the few authors to just make me want to look away and abandon what I'm reading. The former is a edge of the seat horror as a pyromaniac who has been having thoughts of burning whatever she can lay her hands on is entrusted with her baby niece for the day.

The latter plays like Paul Tremblay's Cabin at the End of the World in miniature as a gay couple are befriended by strangers in the park leading to a much bigger game than the game of frisbee they initially embark upon.

These are the standouts in a short collection that relays LaRocca's talents for finding the horror in all sort of situations and mining it to maximum effect. Here's to a new princeling of horror.

There’s no doubt about it, Eric LaRocca writes incredible, disgusting horror. His writing is evocative and horrifying but I find myself wanting more.

This collection definitely has a theme of “child/parent/care-giver relationships.” Personally I found some of the themes of traumatic childbirth, trauma to babies/children, and incest to be too jarring and uncomfortable. I know the point of horror is to feel uncomfortable but these issues to me are non-negotiables. It’s simply subjects I don’t like reading about.

Although I was really interested to see what he did next after his last short story collection and although I found these stories to be better, it still suffered a bit from the issues I had with the first one.

These stories are so short they just touch on the horror elements and don’t dig in enough. To truly feel horrified, I feel like I need more time with the fear and build up. This also meant that these stories ended kind of abruptly and I felt like the endings lacked any kind of finality.

Ultimately, this is great horror and I can see why it appeals to a lot of people. Unfortunately, the subject matter and shortness of the stories affected my enjoyment in the end.

Like most short story collections - some stories were good and some not so. Therefore 3 stars is about right. Thank you for the ARC.

AGH! This was so good!
I am so thankful to Eric LaRocca, Titan Books, and NetGalley for granting me advanced access to this book of horror stories before it's set to hit shelves on March 7, 2023.

With some long and others briefer, The Trees Grew Because I Bled There encourages the reader to address death from multiple viewpoints. We get sequences of terror unfolding over blog threads, PTSD diaries from a woman whose love for setting things ablaze goes too far, and even a father-son relationship that gets too creepy, too fast, until it's too late.

This is my first book from Eric LaRocca, but after seeing his many accolades from authors such as Chuck Wendig and Marianna Enriquez, I'm sold and eager to read more of his works.

Disturbing. Definitely disturbing. That is what I think of this collection. It is actually my favorite that I have read from LaRocca. The story with the woman babysitting her niece was definitely one of my favorites and very tense. The story where the couple with a baby meet the strangers in the park was probably my least favorite but still good. This collection was full of great stories.

I received an ARC from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest opinion.

So, initial reaction: WOW. Wow wow wow!

A more clear reaction: The Trees Grew Because I Bled There: Collected Stories is a powerful collection of horror short stories that cover a variety of characters and circumstances. This was my introduction to LaRocca and I felt very satisfied with the impression this author made! These stories were absolutely harrowing and at times devastating, while keeping me as a reader absolutely enthralled. I was also really impressed with the queer representation offered in this collection.

I actually thought that every story had its own draw, which is unusual for a collection in my experience. LaRocca's skill as a storyteller stays consistent, however, throughout the entire book. The first story, "You Follow Wherever They Go," sets the tone for the collection with its building, ominous tone. I thought that was a perfect starting point.

"Bodies Are for Burning" was a shock with its violent and terrible internal monologue of a woman who is obsessed by thoughts of setting others on fire, but is still a relatable story for those dealing with intrusive thoughts. This one could hold up all on its own. I loved it.

"The Strange Thing We Become" and "You're Not Supposed to Be Here" offer unique perspectives on terminal illness and child abduction, respectively. These were gut wrenching and so thought provoking.

"The Trees Grew Because I Bled There" is one of the most satisfying stories in the collection and is tied for my favorite. This one explores what could be interpreted as an abusive relationship in which one partner "collects" body parts from the other. Absolutely chilling, I could have read an entire novel based on this story alone.

"Where Flames Burned Emerald as Grass" and "I'll Be Gone by Then" both explore familial relationships. Both left me aching, but they were the additions I would say I was less interested in if I had to. Nonetheless, I still enjoyed them.

The final story, "Please Leave or I'm Going to Hurt You," may be controversial due to its exploration of a relationship between a son pining for his father, but it is a beautifully tragic and compelling piece of art. While I obviously don't condone the subject matter here, I found the writing of it really unique and that was a strong pull. This one, along with "The Trees Grew Because I Bled There" were easily the stars of the collection for me. Overall, Eric LaRocca has absolutely won me over, and this collection is a must-read for horror fans. Now, I'm off to devour anything and everything else by him.

Thanks so so much to Titan Books for the opportunity to read an eGalley of this collection in ahead of its release on 03/07/2023 in exchange for my honest thoughts.

I've read some of the author's past work and always enjoyed the things he writes. He has a way with words that come across so spectacularly in his writing and every detail he shows. This collection showed his prowess with storytelling in ways like never before. Every story sucks you in and shows you a horrifically great world he's built for you. You're Not Suppose To Be Here was probably my favorite of them all and it blew me away with how much it made me squirm in my seat. I can't wait to read more by him!

I have a love/slightly-hate relationship with Eric LaRocca’s books. I never quite feel like I enjoy them entirely but at the same time I love the intensity of his characters.

Some of the short stories were great and others felt like filler, which was disappointing.

This was a great collection of short stories. I've read a couple of things by LaRocca and this is probably one of my favorites, although Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke is still high up on the list. These stories are gruesome and horrifying but they are told so well. I'm always interested to see what LaRocca comes up with next.

Let's take a stroll through the mind of the gifted, creative, and twisted writer: Eric LaRocca. I hope I can come out unscathed on the other side. If not, then I hope it only hurts a little. Time will tell....

You Follow Wherever They Go - A tale of love and loss. Melancholic and quiet. A little too short to pack much of a wallop but thought provoking nonetheless.

Bodies Are For Burning - An aunt, with a penchant for burning things, fears what she will do when she is left to care for her toddler niece.

The Strange Thing We Become - This story being the most similar in style to his wildly popular story, Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke. Heart wrenching and utterly disturbing.

The Trees Grew Because I Bled Here - That was a wee bit horrifying. I'm kidding. That was A LOT horrifying. Yikes! How much are you willing to give to those you love?

You're Not Suppose To Be Here - A beautiful sunny day. A great day to spend at the park. Vince and Terry along with their 6 month old son are having a lovely picnic enjoying the weather when a man approaches them insisting "You're not suppose to be here" from here it's a full on parental nightmare! (This is my favorite of the bunch!)

Where Flames Burned Emerald As Grass - A father and his teenage daughter are vacationing at a tropical jungle resort. His daughter has an accident and an elderly Frenchman comes to their aid. He has much more to offer than just his medical expertise if only the father had heeded his warning.

I'll Be Gone By Then - This story is the perfect example of that old saying, you don't know what you've got until it's gone. Don't take the ones you love for granted.

Please Leave Or I'm Going To Hurt You - Um. Hmm. Ahh. Huh. LaRocca has rendered me speechless. Let's just say this is a taboo love story and leave it at that.

Well guys, I've made it safely to the end though I may never be the same again. LaRocca writes the most disturbing stories in the most beautiful and exquisite ways. His writing is a rare gem that is meant to be admired. 4 stars!

Thank you to NetGalley and Titan Books for my complimentary copy.

Just like 'Things Have Gotten Worse...' this collection is deeply psychological, packed with a good chunk of body horror. What makes the stories so suspenseful, is the impending sense of doom. You're constantly expecting a desaster or something really bad to happen. Though my biggest problem was, that things are often left unspoken and I admittedly didnt always get what was happening on page.
The stories are ranging from fine to good, overall I enjoyed this collection and recommend it to fans of weird sh*t.
3,5 stars.

Eric LaRocca's collection of stories in, The Trees Grew Because I Bled There, is horrorific and magnificent. These stories are audacious in an unflinching manner. LaRocca really plays on the innermost fears of many and turns them into a plausable reality. Some stories leave you unsettled and heartbroken while others leave you wanting to crawl out of your skin. Highly enjoyed these and will be recommending to fellow horror fans.

I feel nauseas. I had 3 different existential crisis’ while reading these short stories. Every single one of them were disgusting, revolting and/or depressing. I wish I hadn’t read this at night. I want to erase it from my memory forever- pretend I didn’t read these vile words. Eric LaRocca is a magnificent horror author, and I wish I had never requested this ARC. I highly recommend you read it so you can feel sick too.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I adored this collection. Once again, Eric grabbed me by the heart as they terrified me. This collection showcases a lot of what I love about Eric’s work: beautiful prose, animal facts to convey the beauty and brutality of nature, and honest explorations of relationships. As far as relationships go, this one focuses a lot on families and presents many different looks at them — too much love, not enough and every complexity in between. This is one of the best collections I’ve ever read. Eric simply doesn’t miss.

It's been so exciting to read LaRocca's work and how it continues to grow and mature. I didn't love the big breakout Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke, but I loved the attention to it and the fact of its existence. I LOVED these stories though. LaRocca's love for words, sentences, and the beauty in the wretched just leaps off the pages [digital screen].

My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a chance to read this collection early in exchange for an honest review.

I have been a fan of Eric LaRocca for a long time now, since before he really sprang to the forefront of horror. Every time I read one of their works I know I am in for my heart to be torn out and left laying on the floor in misery. This is true with this collection. He has a way of writing that leaves your heart broken and in a million pieces. Each story contained within this collection has every aspect of a LaRocca work, and each one hooks you from the start and leaves you wishing there was more to the story at the end. I have found that while reading these stories I can relate to some of his characters and its those characters that crush me when the final line is written. My two favorite of this collection are Bodies are Burning and The Trees Grew Because I Bled There. All in all once again LaRocca has knocked it out of the park with this collection, and once again I will be continuing to shout about his works far and wide to get more and more people to read what he has brought into this world.

Highly recommend

I discovered Eric LaRocca just last year, with the one-two punch of Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke and Other Misfortunes, and We Can Never Leave This Place. I had this to say about that second amazing book:

If, through some infernal alchemy, the DNA of Franz Kafka, William Burroughs, and Clive Barker, were combined, and the resultant child was raised in a haunted house, on a steady diet of Hershel Gordon Lewis and David Cronenberg movies, EC and manga comics, Grimms’ fairytales, and powerful hallucinogens; and if that child grew up to be a writer, they might, just might, create something like We Can Never Leave This Place.

After devouring LaRocca’s newest collection of eight short stories, The Trees Grew Because I Bled There, I’d like to add the DNA of two more authors—Poppy Z. Brite and Roald Dahl. Like Brite, LaRocca is both uncompromising and unflinching in his descriptions of the horrors humans are capable of inflicting on each other. In fact, the last time I read a book that gave me this level of—let’s call it exhilarating discomfort—was while reading Exquisite Corpse. And like Dahl, LaRocca’s characters are acid tongued and black hearted.

The stories themselves are, each and every one, disquieting and unnerving. Despite the varied settings, they are weirdly intimate in nature, rooted in despair and trauma. Happiness is in short supply here. Like I said, exhilarating discomfort. They are also clearly and unapologetically queer. There is gut-wrenching body horror, and LaRocca never allows you to look away.

The stories are uniformly strong, but I do want to call out a couple that truly got me. Bodies Are for Burning is near the beginning of the book, and it lets you know just what you’re in for. It will fuck you up. The Strange Thing We Became is a devastating, desperate portrait of disease and loss. And Where Flames Burned Emerald as Grass is a fever dream as horrible as it is inevitable.

The Trees Grew Because I Bled There releases March 7, 2023, and is available now for pre-order. For fans of uncompromising horror, this is a must.